Ireland- Victims Urge Vigilance Regarding Brady's Resignation

SNAP
August 15, 2014

http://www.snapnetwork.org/ireland_victims_urge_vigilance_regarding_brady_s_resignation

Whether the Vatican accepts Cardinal Sean Brady's resignation sooner or later, we caution Irish citizens and Catholics to not become complacent about the safety of kids.

We agree with Irish victims who are urging Pope Francis to move quickly on this resignation. At the same time, however, we worry that when Brady's gone, many will automatically assume that his successor will do a better job of safeguarding the vulnerable and helping the wounded. That's a tempting assumption. But it may or may not be true.

Complacency protects no one. Only vigilance protects kids. So we urge everyone in Ireland who sees, suspects, or suffers clergy sex crimes or cover ups to contact law enforcement officials, not church officials. And we urge them to judge Brady's successor by his deeds, not his words. No one should be impressed or mollified by symbolic gestures from a Catholic official on abuse. Only tangible steps that expose and punish those who commit or conceal child sex crimes really matter.